Hanger device



April 4, 1967 L. J. MOELLER 3,312,442

HANGER DEVICE Filed Feb. 24, 1966 IN VEN T 012 LOWELL J. Mosusn B 20.4,; 2% azmwyz wn 4/fonrm3s United States Patent 3,312,442 HANGER DEVICE Lowell J. Moeller, 6823 Pleasant Run Parkway, South Drive, Indianapolis, Ind. 46219 Filed Feb. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 529,815 Claims. (Cl. 248-217) The present invention relates to a mounting device for mounting or hanging various objects such as pictures and the like.

Presently available devices for hanging pictures and the like are not always completely satisfactory for a number of reasons. First, some presently available devices are not capable of supporting any great amount of weight either because the attachment to the wall is not as secure as possible or because the device itself is inherently weak. Second, certain presently available devices are difficult and time consuming to attach to the wall. An example of such a device is known as a toggle bolt. Third, some presently available devices are relatively expensive to manufacture whereby either there is little profit in the item or the retail price of the item is so expensive that the customer is not willing to buy the product.

Consequently, a primary object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting device.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a mounting device which is capable of supporting a substantial amount of weight; to provide a mounting device which can be quickly attached to the wall; to provide a mounting device which guides a hanger wire in close to the wall; to provide a mounting device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and to provide a mounting device which can be reused repeatedly at other wall locations.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention might include a mounting device for mounting an object on a support comprising an eyelet having a cylindrical portion adapted to extend into and line a hole in the support, a hook member having a proximal end portion proportioned to extend through said eyelet and to engage the eyelet portion and the support opening. I

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a plaster board wall showing the mounting device of the present invention secured to the wall.

FIG. 2 is a reduced size perspective view taken slightly above and between the front and side of a hookmember forming a part of the mounting device of FIG. 1.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a plaster board Wall 10 which has the mounting device 11 of the present invention mounted thereon. The mounting device 11 includes a hook member 12 and an eyelet 15. The first step in securing the mounting device of the present invention to. the wall 10 is the forming of the cylindrical opening or hole 16 in the wall 10. This can be conveniently accomplished by either drilling the hole or by pounding a nail into or through the wall 10 but not driving the nail home. Thus, after the hole 16 3,312,442 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 has been formed, the nail can be withdrawn from the hole by use of the claws on a conventional claw hammer.

It will be noted from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the hook member 12 of the present invention is formed from stamped out sheet material, such as sheet metal or the like. Because of this fact, it is relatively inexpensive to form the hook members 12 and, they may be formed for a cost of approximately 0.2 cent as opposed to a 1 or 2 cent cost for making a wire member of the same generalconfiguration. stantial number of the hook members 12 and the eyelets 15 in a single package along with a single one of the nails to provide a complete kit for the hanging of pictures and, in fact, for hanging other relatively large and heavy objects which is made possible by the inherent substantial strength of the mounting device of the present invention.

I This great strength is in large part due to the use of the eyelet 15 which includes a cylindrical portion 20 that extends into the cylindrical opening 16 and reinforces the wall 10 at the cylindrical opening 16. The eyelet 15 also includes an enlarged collar 21 which abuts the forward surface 22 of the wall 10.

It will be noted that the hook member 12 incorporates a proximal portion 25 which extends rearwardly and then upwardly and bites into the rear 26 of the wall 10. It will be noted that the cylindrical portion 20 of the eyelet 15 extends only part way through the wall so that there is a substantial portion of the cylindrical opening 16 which isnot covered by the cylindrical portion 20 of the eyelet.

Thus the upturned proximal portion 25 of the hook member 12 can bite into the wall 10 so as to retain the hook member 12 in an upright position and to prevent the hook member from being loosely mounted on the wall.

The hook member 12 also includes a distal portion 30 which has a wire receiving slot 31 formed therein, said slot extending downwardly and rearwardly from a forwardly facing opening 32. The distal portion 30 of the hook member 12 also has a forward face 35 which tapers downwardly and forwardly so as to guide or cam a wire on a picture into the slot 31. Anyone who has hung a picture by means of a wire is aware of the fact that in many cases a number of passes have to be made in order to get the wire to connect with the hook. The above described arrangement of the present invention avoids this problem and also guides the wire so that it is held relatively closely to the wall 10 at the bottom 36 of the slot 31.

As mentioned above, the hook member 12 of the present invention is formed from stamped out sheet mate'- rial. Thi sheet material is arranged with the flatness thereof extending vertically soas to provide the greatest possible strength in the mounting device. Further strength is provided by the distal portion 30 having a rearward surface 40 which is flat and engages the front face 22 of the wall adjacent and beneath the opening 16. Also, the proximal portion 25 is provided with a fiat lower surface 41 which engages the lower inside of the cylindrical portion 20 of the eyelet 15, the surfaces 40 and 41 being perpendicular to one another.

It will be evident from the above description that the present invention provides an improved mounting device which is capable of supporting a substantial amount of weight. When the present device was used in connection with a one-half inch thick plaster board, with a threesixteenths inch O.D. eyelet and with a hook member 12 stamped out of .040 inch thick sheet metal, the hook member was capable of supporting a pound load. Approximately ninety percent of the plaster boards used in homes today is one-half inch thick. Consequently, a single size of the mounting device of the present invention may be appropriate for most homes. It will be noted, however, that ten percent of the plaster board sold is three-eighths inch thick and, consequently, a slight It becomes feasible, therefore, to package a sub-' variation in size of the proximal portion 25 may be necessary'for such three-eighths inch thick plaster board. Also, if it is desired to support loads that are substantially greater than 75 pounds, the eyelet '15 and the hock member 12 may be made somewhat larger, although the same general configuration and proportions will apply as shown in the drawing.

It will also be evident that the mounting device of the present invention can be quickly attached to the wall. Thus, it-is only necessary to drive the nail almost all oftheway'into the wall, remove the nail, insert the eyelet 15 and then insert the hook member 11 with a downward twisting motion.

It has been, found that the mounting device of the present invention can be reused repeatedly if desired. Thus, all that is necessary to dismount the device is to lift up on the distal portion 30 and to simultaneously pull outwardly, so that the proximal portion 25 moves out of the eyelet 15. Next, the eyelet 15 is removed from the hole by grasping it at the collar 21. The device is then quickly remounted in the same manner as described above. The hole left at the old location is relatively small but may be filled by a spot of plaster.

While-the invention'has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A mounting device for mounting an object on a support comprising a flanged tubular insert having a cylindrical portion adapted to extend into and line a hole in the support, a hook member having a proximal end portion proportioned to extend through said eyelet and to engage the eyelet portion and the support opening.

2. The mounting device of claim 1 wherein said hook member is formed from stamped out sheet material with the flatness of said sheet material extending vertically, said hook member having a hook portion having a wire receiving slot therein which opens forwardly and extends downwardly and rearwardly.

3. The mounting device of claim 1 wherein said proximal end portion extends rearwardly and curves upwardly, said proximal end portion curving sufliciently sharply to bite in the rear of said support adjacent said hole, said ho'ok member having a hook portion the rearward surface of which is fiat and adapted to engage the forward 5 surface of said support adjacent and beneath said hole, said promixal portion having a flat forward lower surface which is perpendicular to said ho'ok portion rearward 4 surface and which is adapted to engage the lower inside of the cylindriccal portion of said eyelet.

4. In combination with a support, an eyelet having a cylindrical portion and an enlarged c'ollar, said support having a front face and a cylindrical opening through the support which is greater in length than said cylindrical portion, said cylindrical portion being received in said opening with said collar abutting said front face, a hook having a proximal end portion extending through said eyelet and engaging the eyelet cylindrical portion and the support opening.

5. The mounting device of claim 4 wherein said h'ook member is formed from stamped out sheet material and wherein the flatness of said sheet material extends in the direction of the 'bight of said hook.

6. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein said hook member has a hook portion at its distal end portion, said hook portion having a wire receiving slot therein which opens forwardly and extends downwardly and rearwardly.

7. The mounting device of claim 6 wherein said proximal end portion extends rearwardly and curves upwardly and bites into the rear of said support adjacent said 'opening, said hook portion having a rearward surface which is flat and engages the front face of said support adjacent and beneath said opening, said proximal portion having a flat forward lower surface which is perpendicular to said hook portion rearward surface and engages the lower inside of the clyindrical portion of said eyelet.

8. The mounting device if claim 7 wherein said distal portion includes a forwardly facing surface positioned above said slot and sloping downwardly and forwardly for guiding a wire into said slot.

9. A mounting device for mounting an object on a support comprising an insert adapted to line an opening in the support and to cover at least a portion of the insidesurface of the opening, a hook member having a proximal end portion proportioned to extend through said opening and to engage said insert for supporting said hook member on said insert and support.

10. The mounting device of claim 9 wherein said insert is tubular.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 294,385 3/1884 Hemmenway 248-267 364,514 6/1887 Hemmenway 248-267 876,411 1/ 1908 Tatum 248-267 1,185,587 5/1916 Bragg et al 248-217 2,202,811 6/1940 Carney et al 248-217 2,916,839 12/1959 Wheaton 248-217 X A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner, 

1. A MOUNTING DEVICE FOR MOUNTING AN OBJECT ON A SUPPORT COMPRISING A FLANGED TUBULAR INSERT HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO AND LINE A HOLE IN THE SUPPORT, A HOOK MEMBER HAVING A PROXIMAL END PORTION PROPORTIONED TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID EYELET AND TO ENGAGE THE EYELET PORTION AND THE SUPPORT OPENING. 